Please help. Really worried about dd weight gain

[Brighteyes]

I'm really concerned about my 5 month old dd.
Up until 6 weeks ago she was exclusivly bf and was on the 75th centile on the growth charts.
She then developed oral thursh and due to lack of support and advice from the health profession she was treated but I wasn't. This resulted in me having undiagnoised thrush in my nipples and prevented me bf. By the time I was diagonised and treated my milk had dried up.

I was devestated but the unsympathetic hv told me it was the end of the world and its not like feeding her formula would poision her.

I started feeding her Aptimel as it was recommended by the hv as the best formula. Dd had no problem taking to the actual bottle because I regularly give her ebm prior to the switch. The problem is that she will only drink 2 x 7oz bottles during the day and one throughtout the night (an ounce at a time so I'm back and for the nursery like a yoyo through the night).

Dd was weighed yesterday and has dropped from the 75th centile to the 25th centile. The hv managed to make me feel very guilty about this and cross examined me about why I hadn't started weaning her. I responded that I was aware that recent guidlines recommend leaving till 6 mnths which is what I was planning to do.

So after that very long winded explanation what do I do? Should I change formula? Start weaning? stop feeding the baby on demmand and feed her only at certain intervals?

How can I get dd to take more milk during the day to prevent the constant night waking and having to feed her right throughtout the night because I know she hasn't taken enough milk during the day.

Sorry to waffle on but its all so confusing and I dont want my baby to lose any weight. Really don't feel I can trust the hv after my prior experiences with her.

Please, please help

Just guessing but could try offering lttle and often during the day rather than full bottles as she may be feeling 'bloated' after teh formula if she is used to breastmile? I would try and up milk intake if I could. There are more calories in Aptamil than pureed pear.

Hi, how much weight did your dd lose? I don't do centiles!

You could also try a different formula - some babies aren't fussy - they'll drink whatever they're offered, but some are particularly fussy and will only drink certain ones.

Obviously I have been have been following my own advice and having small but frequent sips of wine and so can no longer type .

Draper she hasn't actually lost any weight yet but as stayed at 16lb for the last 5 weeks.

Gomez this is how shes getting through the 2 bottles during the day, she snacks on them throughtout the day never drinking more than two or the ounces at a times. She has never drunk the whole 7oz in one feed.

that should read tow or THREE ounces

I have DS's red book in front of me and between 15 weeks and 26 weeks he dropped from 75th centile to 25th.

Some babies just do it - I believe that they are born bigger than nature intends them to be, for whatever reason (DS was 10 days late and I had query gestational diabetes, for instance). He's now 18mo, happy, healthy and currently just above the 9th centile.

It's the happy, healthy bit I'm interested in, not how much he weighs. He eats like a horse, btw - and he didn't have food till he was 6mo, and even then didn't eat anything much till he was closer to 8mo.

How often are you having your DD weighed? I would say watch the baby, not the scale - if she's thriving, weeing, pooing, learning new things - don't worry about it. If she looks listless or has dull eyes, seek further help.

My HV used to drive me mad - pointing with her pen at what DS weighed at birth, which was months earlier, and murmuring concerned nothings about offering vegetable purees - and failing to look at the bright-eyed little boy grinning at her. Anyway, how many calories are there in a bloody carrot?!

You might want to try smaller feeds more often, if she's used to bf then formula is harder to digest and as for weaning I think any time after 4 months, mine were ready at 5 months, I just couldn't fill them up anymore so out came the baby rice!

Don't have her weighed weekly - IMO it's too often and you have far too much contact with mad HVs to be healthy for you.

So have you obviously Brighteyes?

What flow of teat is she using? Also was she a snacking breastfeeder too? Maybe try the opposite then and leave 3/4 hours between feeds. Or as QoQ suggested maybe a different formula?

Doesn't sound like she's hungry for food - would possibly cut her milk intake even further if you try to give her food.

"I believe that they are born bigger than nature intends them to be,"

PMSL - and some, like my DS2, I think are born smaller than nature intended so they make up for it. He jumped from the 25th to the 75th centile in the first four weeks of his life and stayed there LOL.

thanks for the reassurence hunkerpumpkin.
dd is a very bright and alert baby and if anything is developing beyond her age. She's even cut her first tooth 2 weeks ago which I think may have contributed to a decrease in appetite will teething.

the only real problem is the constant night waking for feeds. I know its out of hunger because when I've offered boilded water she wakes up within 20 mins looking for a feed again.

I'm too slow for this lark so don't bother reading anything I say it's of no consequence cos I'm half and hour behind the rest of you

LOL! Yes, it works both ways

I am currently enjoying the fact that DS gets enormous wear out of clothes He's still in 9-12m stuff!

Teething definitely can cause weirdery with feeding.

What does she have at night? Are you trying to stop her wanting feeds at night?

lucky cow (sorry thread hijack alert). DS2 is 23 months and is WELL into the 2-3yr stuff - infact occasionaly when I'm in a flap I've put one of DS1's Jumpers on him and it's only a little bit too big.

AND to make matters worse - it looks like when I got the Charity shop to come and pick up loads of bags of stuff last year I sent some of the wrong ones. We're 'missing' almost all of DS1's clothes from aged 2-4yrs - yet we've still got 2 bags of 0-12 months in the loft.

omg ladies thanks for all the advice I can't respond fast enough .

I only have her weighed every four weeks (which was another criticism by the hv).

She currenly on number 2 teats, tried her with number 3 but she doesn't drink the milk at all and just dribbles it all out the side of her mouth.

She has always been a snacker but I wasn't really concerned when bf because her weightgain was so good.

Think I will get several different cartons tomorrow and see how she takes to them.

I would love her to drop the night feeds hunker. She is currently drinking a 7oz bottle throughtout the night but its only a ounce at a time so it means I get up 6-7 times between 2am and 7am.

what time is her last feed at night? with my two I was waking them up before I went to bed, between 10 and 11, just to top them up.

Might be worth trying the slowest teats apparently more like BF the slower it is.

Or like Hunker et al have suggested just ignore it all and if she is ticking all the boxes let her dictated her intake. I have GP friend who describes some babies as 'happy starvers'!

her last feed is at 8pm she then goes to bed at 8.30. Tried giving her a later feed before I go to bed but she will only take and ounce maximum.

Tried doing this both as a dream feed and making sure she's wide awake to take the feed. Neither worked

bugger!